A former Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) officer was yesterday reprimanded but spared a jail sentence or a fine after he admitted to assaulting an immigration officer at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, after he refused to let his bags be checked by the officer-on-duty.
The prosecution stated that on August 29 in Georgetown, Jitindra Persaud was an outgoing passenger when Shelieza Melville, who is an employee of the airport, approached Persaud and requested to carry out a search of his bag. Persaud, the court was told, grabbed Melville’s hand and knocked it away to prevent her from searching his bag.
As a result Melville went to the Timehri Police Outpost and made a report, which led to Persaud’s arrest.
Persaud, who appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, said that Melville approached him without an identification badge and pulled away his suitcase and threw it on the table and attempted to open it.
“I kept knocking my suitcase saying that I need an ID to show which department she from. Because I worked at the same airport as a Narcotic Officer for several years and I know the procedure,” he said.
He also said that Melville went to her Supervisor and she told her that he was not subjecting his suitcase to a search and she came over and identified herself and apologised on behalf of the staff.
Persaud also said that he was later checked in and his bags were searched. However, after boarding the airplane, he was removed from the aircraft with an allegation that he assaulted Melville.
The magistrate, after looking at the prosecution’s case file, said that it did not mention that Melville had properly identified herself to Persaud.
She also said that while Persaud was an employee of the airport, it did not give him the right to assault the young woman.
As a result, the magistrate reprimanded Persaud and discharged the case against him.
